General director of Turkey's public broadcaster TRT has announced that a new documentary titled Gökkuşağı Faşizmi (“Rainbow Fascism”) will premiere on TRT’s digital platform tabii on Jan 18.
In a post on social media, Zahid Sobacı described the documentary as a production that “exposes an ideological siege targeting the institution of family, turning children and social values into targets.”
The promotional video for the documentary employs a metaphor likening the LGBTI+ movement to “an elephant destroying a child’s room,” portraying the community as a threat.
Sobacı also explicitly associated the LGBTI+ movement with the concept of “fascism.”
Reactions
The content promoted by TRT and its tabii platform has reignited controversy over the public broadcaster’s use of taxpayer-funded resources to disseminate stigmatizing, exclusionary, and polarizing rhetoric against LGBTI+ communities.
Journalist İrfan Değirmenci criticized the move, referencing a recent tragic incident: “A retiree who was evicted for failing to pay rent died after taking refuge in his car to escape the cold. This is the stark reality the government of 25 years cannot hide. Turning the anger of poor citizens not toward the system and the government that caused their poverty, but against a scapegoated neighbor—this is fascism. And it has no color, it is pitch black. While you are expected to provide public broadcasting funded by all of us, you cannot target segments of society, endanger lives, or commit hate crimes.”
Journalist Burcu Karakaş said, “It is troubling for our education system when someone granted a professorship in political science and public administration does not understand what fascism is.”
Atilla Dirim, an activist with Ankara Rainbow Families Group (GALADER) and the father of an LGBTI+ child, also condemned the documentary: “This is a major distortion and a lie. LGBTI+ existence does not impose anything on anyone. Gender identity and sexual orientation cannot be altered by pressure, persuasion, or encouragement. On the contrary, LGBTI+s are subjected to heteronormative impositions. What you are doing is redirecting the anger caused by economic and social collapse. Also, what did you want from that elephant? At least leave animals alone.”
Defne Koryürek, an activist and the mother of an LGBTI+ child, emphasized the meaning of family: “The family is the most basic unit of solidarity. A so-called solidarity that excludes its own child for their orientation is neither solidarity nor family. Don't lose your minds. Raise your children to be dignified and altruistic—that is enough. Society will strengthen on its own.” (TY/VK)
